28. A Rare Cast Bronze Cosmetic Flask in the Form of a Woman

This figure is related to Indus Valley terracottas, with some unusual features. She has a long pigtail, and a snake-like ornament around her neck above the necklace that dangles on her breasts. She wears a skirt, one of the earliest known examples of a mini-skirt, designed to reveal rather than hide her nether parts. The swelling belly may indicate pregnancy, or just be a way of making space for more of the cosmetic.